Premier Matteo Renzi said
Thursday that Italy's regional governments should spend their
budgets better, and denied allegations that his executive was
cutting regional health care funding.
"We have increased the money for the health sector from
110 billion euros to 111 billion (in the 2016 budget bill),"
Renzi said in an interview with veteran TV journalist Bruno
Vespa for an upcoming book.
"Now the issue is to force the regions to spend the money
they do have better, instead of moaning about what they would
like to have".
The government's budget bill features the abolition of the
TASI local services tax and property tax IMU on primary
residences and farms.
The executive has said local councils will be reimbursed
for the lost revenue by central government, but the move has
still been criticised for limiting municipalities' room for
budget manoeuvre, and punishing authorities that applied
relatively local TASI rates.
Italy's regional governments have complained vital services
will be at risk because of cuts that they will face, sparking
tension with Renzi even with governors belonging to the
premier's Democratic Party (PD).
On Thursday, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Governor Debora
Serracchiani said the Conference of Regions unanimously voted to
suspend its reading on the government's budget bill as a series
of round-tables got underway to discuss regional accounts.
Renzi has repeatedly said the government is increasing
money it allocates the regions for health spending, but the
governors say they are to get less than they were promised,
which means the increases are effectively cuts as they don't
keep up with inflation.
Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano said the regions are ready
to "hand back the keys" if government does not quickly approve a
decree to help solve some of the accounting problems they face.
The so-called "Save the Regions" decree is expected to be
presented by the government on Friday.
Separately, a minority group of leftwing dissenting members
of Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD) presented 10
amendments to the government's budget bill, related to issues
ranging from a plan to make massive investments in the country's
chronically impoverished South, to a diverted profits tax.
They also want to eliminate a plan to raise the limit on
cash transactions from 1,000 euros to 3,000 euros, which has
been criticised on the grounds that it would make tax evasion
easier.
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